Detachable panel mounting



May 10, 1932. H. R. CLARK DETACHABLE PANEL MOUNTING Filed Sept. 17, 1929 ATTORNEY Patented May 10, 1932 "PAT ENTHOFFICE' I HARRY R. CLARK, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 1 DETACHABLE. PANEL MOUNTINGf Application filed September 17, 1929. Serial No. 393,165.;

This invention relates to a detachable panel mounting, and while of more or less general application and use, is particularly designed for the purpose of enabling glass panels to be easily and quickly mounted upon or detached from the opposite side walls of mail chutes,

- such as are commonly foundinoflice build- 'lis in s. I

' It is one of the important features of my present invention to providea glass panel for such mail chutes having sheet metal molding strips extending along the opposite sideed'ges thereof and which are rigidly connected with and secured to the glass panel in such manner as to securely support the-panel against pos sibility of shifting; relative to the walls of the mail chute, and also eliminate any projectionon the inner face of the panel forming crevices in which the mail matter might be caught and held, thus clogging the chute.

It is also another novel featureof my present invention to provide simple and reliable means for detachably connectingthe mold ing strips with the side walls of the chute at their front edges which will automatically 'actto urge the moldings into close frictional contact with inwardly projecting flanges on said sidewalls when the panel is mounted in position. 7

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved detachable panel mounting'and in the form, construction, and relative arrangement of its several parts as willbe hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims. V

In the drawings wherein I have shown a simple and practical embodiment. of the invention and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several,views,-

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through a mail chute showing one form of my present invention." Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation" certain ing shown in section; and

parts be- Fig. 4; is a fragmentary horizontal section molding.

Referring detail to'the drawings, the body 5 of the mailchute, in connection with which I'have illustrated an application of my present improvements, is formed from heavy gauge sheet metal, and as shown,the opposite side walls 6 thereof adjacent their showing a slightly modified f rmprjthep nel forward edges have parts inwardly bent to providethe vertically extending flanges 7 of double thickness, the front marginal edges 8 projecting forwardlyfrom said flanges in the plane of the side walls 6.] Each of the edge portions 8 of the walls 6 is provided at 5 points vertically spaced a suitable distance from each other, with inwardly projecting studs'or pins9 which are welded or otherwise suitably fixed to the parts 8 L The panel 10," which in the present instance is of glass of suitable width, length, and thickness, is provided at its opposite edges and'intermediate ofits front and rearfaces at longitudinally spaced points with recesses indicated at 11. This'panel is securely held between sheet 1 metal .mold-ing strips 12 extending along the opposite vertical edges thereof. As illustrated, each of these molding strips has a substantially rectangular body portion, the rear'wall of. which at its inner edge is formed with a continuous and rearwardly projecting fiange13. This flange atlongitudinally spaced points is provided with laterally and inwardly projecting lugs 1a which are adapted to closely fit Within the 1 recesses 11 in the panel 10; Preferably, before insertion I coat thelugs 14 with a suitable cement whereby the molding stripsare permanently secured to the glass panel. i

The front wall of each molding strip 12 is formed at the inner side thereof. with anornamental marginal portion 15 resiliently bearing at its free edge 16 against the outer face of the panel 10 at a point spaced inwardly fromthe vertical side edge thereof. The outer side wall. of each molding 12is provided at one or more points in accordance.

withthe spacing of the pins 9, with bayonet slots 17. These slots open upon the rear side of the molding and are forwardly and upwardly inclined and terminate at their forits , horizontal locking bars (not shown). extend between "the opposite side walls of the chute body and separate the glass panels from each other, said bars cooperating with the abutting ends of the moldings 12 on adjacent "pan-i els to prevent the unauthorized removal of said panels. WVhen mounting the individual panels to close'the front open side of the chute body, themoldings 12 are positioned between the front marginal/edges 8 of the side walls of the chute and the studs or pins 9 engaged' in the open ends of the bayonet slots 17. The panel is then forced inwardly and at the same time shifted downwardly. .As

the pins or studs 9 ride upon the inclined walls of the slots 17 and enter the closed ends 18 thereof, the moldings 12 are drawn into close bearing contact against the outer faces of the flanges 7 on the side wallsof the chute body, while the panel 10 projects inwardly beyond these flanges,.as clearly shown in Fig.

, 1 of the drawings. The inner face of this panel presents an entirely smooth and uninterrupted surface offering no obstruction. to the gravity descent of mail matter through the chute. Heretofore. instructures of this kind, the rear wall of the molding strip usually projected over the rear side of the glass panel and had resilient bearing contact therewith. This arrangement .frequently caused clogging of the chute aspieces of mail would become caught between the edge of the molding and the rear face of the glass so that frequent r-emoval'of the glass panel Was neces sary in order to dislodge the obstructing mail. In my present improved construction, it will be apparent that this is impossible, all cracks or crevices at the inner side of the glass panel in which the mail matter might lodge or be caught being eliminated.

In removing thepanel from the chute body, after the horizontal locking bar between the adjacent panels has been removed, the lower panel is merely lifted vertically so as to dis engage the closed end portions 18 of the bayonet slots 17 and the pins 9, and is then moved outwardly or forwardly and upwardly, as the inclined portions of the slots 17 are disengaged from said pins. It-will be evident that by means of this pin and slot connection between the panel moldings and theside walls of the chute body, the panels can be easily and quickly mounted in place to close the chute or removed when access to the interior of the chute is necessary, and without necessitating the use of special tools for this purpose.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings I have illustrated a slightly modified form of the mold- .namental moldings attached tothe opposite ing 12, in which the rear portion of the outer side wall of said molding is inwardly oflset from the plane of the remaining. portion thereof as indicated at 12', such inwardly offset portion being provided with the bayonet slots 17 Thus in this construction when'the moldings are attachedto the forward edges of the side walls of the chute body, the front portions of the moldings extend beyond said side walls, said walls and'the forward portions of the outer side -walls of the moldings being positioned-in the-same plane. On the other hand, in the construction shown in Fig. 1,

it will be noted that the forward edges of the. 'frontmarginal portions 8 of :the side walls ofthe chute body are visible'andterminate in the plane of the front surfacesv ofthe moldings 12. p Fromtheforegoing description, considered in connection with the; accompanying drawings, the construction, manner. of use, -and. many advantages of my present invention will be clearly understood. Itv will be seen that a. device 'of'this constructionfwhileim;;.

curing. the maximum stability of the glass panels'whenmounted on the mail chute body, as Well as the complete elimination of any projections onthe inner face of the glass panel which might cause clogging of the chute, the structure is nevertheless of very simple form. It may, therefore, be manufactured and employed inmail'chutestructures without a material increase ingoost over the mailchute structures as now used in this 7 art.

The parts 13 of theImold members'have close frictional contact against the inner edges ofth e flanges 7 and on the chute walls.

I I have herein shown a very practical and serviceable embodiment of my invention, but it nevertheless will be understood that it is possible that the desiredresults might also be obtained in other structural embodiments served of resorting to "all such legitimate changesin the form,constructi0n, and relative arrangement of theseveral parts as may fairly beconsidered within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:. 1. In combination with a rectangular body structure open on one side, a closure panel for said open side of the body structure, or-

side edges of said panel, each of the side walls of the body structure being provided adjacent the open side thereof with an inwardly projecting vertical flange, each of said body walls outwardly ofthe vertical flange thereon being provided with an in wardly projecting pin, and each of the panel moldings having a bayonet slot in its outer side provided with an obliquely inclined portion opening uponthe rear face thereoffsaid thereof. Accordingly, the privilege is rebayonet slots adapted to receive said pins in mounting the panel in position whereby the rear faces of said moldings are urged into close frictional contact against the vertical flanges on the body walls.

2. A closure panel for mail chutes comprisin a lass late an ornamental sheet metala g P 7 molding extending along each of the 0ppo site side edges of said'plate and having a substantially rectangular body portion providing front and rear walls, the front wall at its inner edge having a marginal flange resiliently bearing upon the front surface of the glass plate, and the rear wall of said molding having its inner edge permanently secured within the edge of the glass plate to thereby provide a smooth, unobstructed inner or rear face upon the closure plate.

3. A closure panel for mail chutes comprising a glass plate an ornamental sheet metal molding extending along each of the opposite side edges of said plate and having a substantially rectangular body portion providing front and rear walls, the front wall at its inner edge having a marginal flange resiliently bearing upon the front surface of the glass plate, and the rear wall of the rectangular body of the molding being provided at its inner edge with a rearwardly extending longitudinal flange having spaced laterally projecting lugs, and the glass plate being provided in its side edge and intermediate the front and rear faces thereof with recesses in which said lugs are permanently secured whereby the rear or inner face of the closure plate presents a smooth and unobstructed surace.

A. A panel for mail chutes,.comprising a transparent plate and sheet metal moldings extending along the opposite side edges of said plate, each of said moldings having a front edge in resilient bearing contact with the front surface of said plate, and a rear edge in contact with an edge face of said plate, and means rigidly and permanently securing the latter edges of the moldings to said plate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 7 my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

HARRYv CLARK. 

